name
Common
Taiwan
teye-WAHN
Taiwan (name) means a self-governing island territory in East Asia, officially the Republic of China, with its capital at Taipei. Example: “Taiwan is a major producer of semiconductors.”
name
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A self-governing island territory in East Asia, officially the Republic of China, with its capital at Taipei.
"Taiwan is a major producer of semiconductors."
"Pei Ling Wu, 30, said: "I am worried about my family, but they do not want to leave Taiwan. They want to defend their country and fight to the end. If China continues to push us, independence is the only solution.""
— Leyla Linton, London students sing their defiance (1996)
How to use Taiwan
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe island and territory in East Asia known as the Republic of China.
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Etymology
Derived through Wade-Giles romanization of Mandarin 臺灣 (Táiwān), tracing back to a Hokkien placename for a sandbank near modern Tainan.
Synonyms
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formosa
republic of china
Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “Taiwan” mean?
The word “Taiwan” means a self-governing island territory in East Asia, officially the Republic of China, with its capital at Taipei. In plain terms, the island and territory in East Asia known as the Republic of China.
How do you pronounce “Taiwan”?
“Taiwan” is pronounced teye-WAHN (/ˌtaɪ̯ˈwɑn/ in IPA).
How do you use “Taiwan” in a sentence?
Here is “Taiwan” used in a sentence: “Taiwan is a major producer of semiconductors.”
What part of speech is “Taiwan”?
“Taiwan” is a name.
Is “Taiwan” a common word?
“Taiwan” is a fairly common word in modern English.
What is the difference between Taiwan and the Republic of China?
They name the same self-governing island territory in East Asia. Republic of China is its official name, while Taiwan — the name of the main island — is what the territory is commonly called in everyday speech and news reporting. Its capital is Taipei.
Is Taiwan the same as Thailand?
No. Taiwan is a self-governing island territory in East Asia with its capital at Taipei, while Thailand is a separate country on the Southeast Asian mainland with its capital at Bangkok. The similar-sounding names cause frequent mix-ups, but the two places are unrelated.
Do you say "Taiwan" or "the Taiwan"?
Taiwan takes no article: people live in Taiwan and travel to Taiwan, never "the Taiwan." English generally reserves "the" for place names that are plural or descriptive, such as the Netherlands or the Philippines, and Taiwan does not fit that pattern.
What was Taiwan called before?
Western maps long labeled the island Formosa, and that name still appears in historical writing and older books. Today the island and its territory are known as Taiwan, officially the Republic of China.
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